Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Ethiopia

Name: Ethiopia
Address: ET

For one person, living is cheaper in Ethiopia: $1,213 a month against $2,626 in Australia, rent and utilities included – about $17,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Australia
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Australia Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Ethiopia
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Ethiopia Living Index

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🇦🇺 Australia

$2,626

/mo nomad

🇪🇹 Ethiopia

$1,213

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Australia and in Ethiopia

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Australia and in Ethiopia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,626 per month in Australia vs $1,213 in Ethiopia, rent included.

Australia $2,626
Ethiopia $1,213

A couple spends around $3,810 per month in Australia vs $1,821 in Ethiopia, rent included.

Australia $3,810
Ethiopia $1,821

A family of three spends $4,994 per month in Australia vs $2,429 in Ethiopia, rent included.

Australia $4,994
Ethiopia $2,429

The regional cost range is wider in Australia ($1,068–$3,303) than in Ethiopia ($374–$1,300), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Australia is about 117% higher than in Ethiopia on average.

Australia sits 93% above the global median, while Ethiopia is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.65 A$25.08

$4.11 ETB 662

329.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.2 A$121

$42.65 ETB 6,862

99.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 A$15.76

$6.45 ETB 1,038

71.94%

Cappuccino

$3.90 A$5.54

$0.86 ETB 138

353.49%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 A$4.05

$0.57 ETB 92.5

400.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 A$3.29

$0.56 ETB 90.6

312.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.53 A$10.70

$0.89 ETB 143

746.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.59 A$12.20

$1.94 ETB 313

342.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 A$2.50

$1.03 ETB 166

70.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.81 A$3.99

$0.90 ETB 145

212.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 A$3.19

$1.74 ETB 280

28.74%

Eggs

$5.02 A$7.14

$1.79 ETB 288

180.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.87 A$14.02

$7.49 ETB 1,205

31.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 A$13.24

$10.49 ETB 1,687

-11.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.86 A$21.13

$9.97 ETB 1,605

49.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.82 A$5.42

$4.43 ETB 713

-13.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.92 A$4.16

$0.78 ETB 125

274.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.13 A$4.46

$2.45 ETB 394

27.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.81 A$6.83

$0.67 ETB 108

617.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 A$3.98

$0.55 ETB 88.3

409.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 A$3.38

$1.34 ETB 216

77.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.37 A$3.37

$0.77 ETB 124

207.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 A$2.35

$0.57 ETB 91.3

189.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$39.13 A$55.6

$7.86 ETB 1,264

397.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.93 A$19.80

$5.38 ETB 865

158.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.96 A$7.05

$0.76 ETB 122

552.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.17 A$7.35

$1.49 ETB 240

246.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 A$3.44

$0.35 ETB 55.7

591.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.6 A$134

$16.78 ETB 2,699

463.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 A$4.97

$1.36 ETB 218

156.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 A$2.27

$0.27 ETB 43.19

492.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.84 A$56.6

$1.97 ETB 316

1922.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 A$1.97

$1.00 ETB 161

39.00%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$30.0K A$42.7K

$53.5K ETB 8.6M

-43.91%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.8K A$36.6K

$55.1K ETB 8.9M

-53.22%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$205 A$291

$142 ETB 22.9K

44.21%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$28.33 A$40.27

$9.63 ETB 1,550

194.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.8 A$83.5

$236 ETB 38.0K

-75.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.7 A$79.1

$42.81 ETB 6,889

29.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.57 A$27.82

$35.60 ETB 5,728

-45.03%

Cinema Ticket

$15.38 A$21.86

$4.96 ETB 799

210.08%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$2,145 A$3,049

$628 ETB 101.0K

241.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K A$26.1K

$30.1K ETB 4.9M

-39.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.3 A$111

$36.35 ETB 5,849

115.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.3 A$80.0

$62.8 ETB 10.1K

-10.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 A$164

$78.3 ETB 12.6K

46.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 A$175

$88.6 ETB 14.3K

38.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,591 A$2,261

$654 ETB 105.2K

143.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 A$1,837

$346 ETB 55.7K

273.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,524 A$3,588

$1,818 ETB 292.5K

38.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 A$2,850

$723 ETB 116.3K

177.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,751 A$12.4K

$1,825 ETB 293.6K

379.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,260 A$8,898

$1,031 ETB 165.8K

507.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,984 A$5,663

$203 ETB 32.7K

1858.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.93

-65.12%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Australia: October 27, 2026

Last update for Ethiopia: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Australia

$1.3K 49.2%

Ethiopia

$346 28.5% 73.2% $947

Groceries & Markets

Australia

$374 14.3%

Ethiopia

$210 17.3% 43.9% $164

Eating Out

Australia

$297 11.3%

Ethiopia

$75 6.2% 74.6% $221

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Australia

$292 11.1%

Ethiopia

$388 32% 32.7% $96

Clothing & Footwear

Australia

$168 6.4%

Ethiopia

$120 9.9% 28.6% $48

Getting Around

Australia

$116 4.4%

Ethiopia

$21 1.7% 82% $95

Sport & Entertainment

Australia

$86 3.3%

Ethiopia

$53 4.4% 39% $34

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,383 in Australia vs $421 in Ethiopia. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,749 in Canberra and $707 in Addis Ababa.

Average salary: $3,874 in Australia vs $180 in Ethiopia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 229% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 95% more in Australia.

Public transport is 394% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are about 22 times higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Australia

🇪🇹 Ethiopia

🕒 Local time

04:11 4:11 AM

20:11 8:11 PM

8 h behind Australia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,473,055

128,691,692

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Ethiopian Birr ETB Br

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 EUR

1,000 ETB = 6.22 USD

1,000 ETB = 5.57 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ETB, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 AUD (1 AUD = 0.63 EUR).

Ethiopian Birr exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 161 ETB (1,000 ETB = 6.22 USD). 1 EUR = 180 ETB (1,000 ETB = 5.57 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Australia Ethiopia 12,430 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Australia
Ethiopia

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Australia vs Ethiopia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ethiopia is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 54% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Australia: a central one-bedroom averages $1,383 versus $421 in Ethiopia.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Ethiopia – part of why living there is about 54% cheaper overall.

$1,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Ethiopia, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Ethiopia is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.